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This is my absolute favorite time of the year to visit Walt Disney World. As soon as the calendar switches over from Thanksgiving, with the decorations all around you in every part of the resort, it’s time for the holiday season. More specifically, this week and the next two are great weeks to visit, because the crowd levels are low, but the holiday events are in full force. To borrow a phrase, it’s the most wonderful time of the year.

With that in mind, I thought this week it would be good to give a quick primer of the must see attractions and events this holiday season, and how to use the TouringPlans.com tools to make the most of them.

Holiday Décor – The best thing to see at Walt Disney World this time of year is the amazing holiday decorations. Luckily, seeing all the great wreaths, Christmas trees and garland is easy to fit into one of the touring plans. Check the Crowd Calendar to see which park is the least crowded, and pick a touring plan to fit that park. As you make your way through the park, it’s easy enough to see the decorations all around you. However, you may want to take a few extra minutes for pictures or to enjoy the sights. If that’s the case and you get off track in the touring plan, just check the tips for getting back on track.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party – The upcharge party event at the Magic Kingdom is definitely a great way to get into the spirit of things. While it’s quite pricey, the party is still one of the great events all year long. To take full advantage of it, you can check out the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Touring Plan to make sure and see all the shows, especially Holiday Wishes and the Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. There are three plans to choose from, one focused on the party activities, one focused on attractions and a third that is a hybrid of the two.

Holiday Storytellers courtesy of Tom Bricker.

Holidays Around the World – The big holiday celebration at Epcot features some amazing events, including the Holiday Storytellers, which tell about how each country celebrates the holidays. Fellow blogger Kristen Helmstetter had a great post last week outlining all the storytellers, so if you want the full rundown check that out. The Lines app has showtimes for all the storytellers, which is a fantastic way to check things out as you’re walking around World Showcase. The other big event is the Candlelight Processional, which I wrote about last year. The biggest tip I can give you for that is to make sure you either arrive early, at least 45 minutes before the show, or purchase the Candlelight Dinner Package to ensure you have a seat.

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights – Every park has their

Osborne Lights, courtesy of Tom Bricker.

holiday icon, and the Osborne Lights is the one for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. On theNew York Street section, everything is covered in lights, synchronized to music and prepared to take your breath away. Even with the low crowds in early December, crowds will descend upon the lights as it gets darker and darker. Your best bet? Use the Crowd Calendar to see the best day to go to the Studios, and pick a touring plan that allows you to be free right around dusk (typically between 5 and 6 p.m.). That way, you can be at the Osborne Lights as soon as they open, and see the opening ceremony.

Those are the holiday attractions that I never miss when I’m down at Walt Disney World for the holidays. I’ve grown more and more comfortable using our tools here at TouringPlans.com to make those attractions easier to see. Which attractions do you make sure to see at the holidays, and how do you use the tools to make it easier?

We just went to MVMCP last week and really didn’t get much done. Having a realistic plan in place based on who is with you is an absolute necessity. We had my family (myself, hubby and 3 kids aged 3 to 10), my 60 year old mother in law, my 43 year old sister and my parents who are 72 and 74. We were able to get on 2 rides, get something to eat, watch the parade, Magic Memories and You, and the fireworks. By that time it was almost 10:00 and we were exhausted. We also had arrived in the park around 4:00. My suggestion would be to make sure you get a good rest period during the day so that you can stay in the park until midnight. 🙂